Expert: Pat G - 1/3/2012

Question
Hi I had a surgical abortion 4 weeks ago and have stopped bleeding since then. my boyfriend and I had sex again for the first time today and it was unprotected. I did not take any time of birth control after my abortion either. even though we had sex he did not ejaculate inside me but we are not sure if he precummed.  Can I be pregnant again?

Answer
Hello, Melissa,

Any time a man comes near the vagina and gives off a single drop of liquid, pregnancy is theoretically possible. But the woman has to be fertile at the time as well. It's been long enough since your abortion that it is possible you were fertile. I commend you for not taking some toxic pill to try to keep from becoming noticeably pregnant. These are not good for a woman. I sincerely hope that if you are pregnant again, you don't have another abortion. Abortion always damages a woman's body, and the more abortions a woman has, the more damage that is done. It is easy for a woman in your position to get into the habit of repeat abortions, using them as birth control. When a woman gets into this cycle, the only ways to break out of the cycle are, to stop having sex, to become incapable of becoming pregnant, or to carry a child to term. You really deserve better. If you are pregnant again, it is probable that your situation hasn't changed. If so, you probably need some help dealing with your situation without resorting to abortion. I recommend you find an organization in your area that helps pregnant women. You can find one by going to this web site:

http://www.optionline.org/

It would be wise to have a talk with your boyfriend. He is putting you at risk needlessly, and contributing to your fear of pregnancy. You deserve to be free of the fear of pregnancy. He should respect your body. Using any kind of protection isn't really a solution, because these are not reliable. Any kind of chemical birth control can cause serious health problems. Now that you have already had one abortion, he is really taking advantage of you, to put you at risk again. I recommend you not go to a private place where sex would be possible.

You can test for pregnancy in about 3 weeks. If the test is negative, you can test again in another week. If your test is positive, then the test a week later can tell you whether you are pregnant again, or whether you still had pregnancy hormones from your previous pregnancy. In the latter case, the line will be more faint.

Please take care of yourself and stay safe! Please let me know what happens. I am here for you if you have any other questions.